The “Gut Feeling” is often synonymous with a sense
of desperation resulting from a lack of preparation. The Gut Check
is a huge proponent of studying the numbers, but there’s
a point where one can place too much emphasis on the wrong information.
This can result in the undervaluing or overlooking a player’s
potential. Therefore, The Weekly Gut Check is devoted to examining
the frame of reference behind certain number-driven guidelines
that fantasy football owners use to make decisions.

Although The Weekly Gut Check doesn’t claim to be psychic,
he does believe that he can dispel certain numbers biases and
help you make the best choices for your team. We’ll keep
a running tally of The Weekly Gut Check’s insights. This
way you can gauge his views as something to seriously consider,
or at least seriously consider running the opposite way as fast
as you can!

Every year there is a player that stands out to The Gut Check as
an underrated, underappreciated talent flying below the radar. Last
year’s pick was Titans RB Jarrett Payton. While Payton did
make the roster and deliver a positive contribution in a game, his
chances of surpassing Chris Brown, Lendale White, and Travis Henry
on the depth chart are incredibly slim. Still, players like Payton
could eventually turn into fantasy starters like Reuben Droughns
or Samkon Gado.

This year’s long shot candidate was a first round pick
and a favorite of draftniks in 2004—WR Rashaun Woods. The
Gut Check believes Woods was one of the most talented receivers
in a star-studded class that included Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams,
and Michael Clayton. For various reasons Woods didn’t pan
out in San Francisco, but The Gut Check will present a case as
to why the recently acquired Charger will eventually succeed in
the NFL.

The case will be built around Woods talent, extenuating circumstances
in San Francisco, and the media’s desire to find a reason
for his slow development other than those circumstances. The Gut
Check will also provide some historical examples of talented young
players developing into fine pros with their second and third
team. Fantasy owners often forget there is a difference between
dropping a prospect from your team and completely writing off
a player. Savvy owners keep their eyes (and mind) open to players
that have the talent and opportunity to develop despite not doing
it on everyone else’s timeline.

The Gut Check has pointed out Woods’ talent in a previous
column in 2004. One of the main points was Woods was known
as a polished receiver but not an elite athlete compared to the
rest of the class. Woods did not have an amazing 40 time, but
when you look at his work out numbers in comparison to the other
top receivers in his draft class, you’ll see why he was
a first round pick:

Who's Explosive?

Prospect

Height

Shuttle

40 Time

Vertical

Michael Clayton

6'3"

4.15

4.54

32.5

Keary Colbert

5'10"

4.18

4.43

34

Lee Evans

5'10"

4.02

4.33

37

Larry Fitzgerald

6'2"

4.27

4.47

35

Michael Jenkins

6'4"

4.31

4.38

34

Darrius Watts

6'1"

4.18

4.43

35

Reggie Williams

6'3"

4.34

4.48

36

Roy Williams

6'2"

3.97

4.37

39.5

Rashaun Woods

6'2"

4.05

4.47

39

Scouts cite the ability to separate—quickness in and out of
breaks--as one of the most important aspects of route running. The
20-yard shuttle is a good indicator of this explosiveness and Woods’
time was one of the best. This is what has kept Jerry Rice and Keenan
McCardell viable contributors late in their careers. Neither player
was a speed guy, but they both could get deep because of their ability
to gain separation.

Charger’s GM AJ Smith acquired the venerable McCardell
from the Buccaneers and has been a Woods fan since he was at Oklahoma
State. You can read more about the Chargers take on their new
receiver here.

So if Woods were so good in college, why didn’t it work
out with the 49ers? As The Gut Check mentioned in an article at
the end of 2004, Woods failed to gain any chemistry with the 49er
quarterbacks because he had a hamstring injury. The rookie spent
more time in the training room than the practice field. Woods
is also a humble, laid back guy from the country with the desire
to become a professional bass fisherman one day. The media spent
a lot of time making references to these facts as reasons for
his lack of success. They questioned his commitment and passion
for the game of football. No one questioned Keyshawn Johnson when
he opened up a restaurant or Troy Vincent for his myriad of business
activities. If Woods were late or missed practices, then it would
have been a different story. This was not the case.

The fact remains that Woods will be working with his third coaching
staff in as many years as an NFL player. Woods didn’t get
a lot of playing time as a rookie, constantly dealt with a rotation
of quarterbacks that had marginal talent as NFL starters, and
then had to learn a whole new terminology and system before even
getting a chance to grow comfortable with the first playbook.
In 2005, Woods was placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury
that required surgery. It is not hard to imagine why Woods got
off to a slow start as a pro.

The funny thing is critics of Woods, especially fantasy football
owners, say he lacks enough speed and skills to get separation.
When one considers Woods averaged 22 yards per catch and was still
thinking his way through the game and working through an injury,
this criticism doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Last

First

Year

Opp

Week

Rush Att

Rush Yd

Rec

Rec Yd

Total TDs

Fpts

Woods

Rashaun

2004

NE

17

0

0

3

76

0

7.6

Woods

Rashaun

2004

BUF

16

0

0

1

17

0

1.7

Woods

Rashaun

2004

TB

11

0

0

1

32

0

3.2

Woods

Rashaun

2004

STL

4

0

0

2

35

1

9.5

The fact is most people like to attribute the problem to the player
and not the system. Rashaun Woods was not one of Mike Nolan’s
players. He also didn’t get much of a chance to prove he could
be one of the coach’s guys.

It’s worth noting there are some quality receivers that didn’t
have much success with their first team, but eventually became solid-great
contributors somewhere else:

Last

First

Team

G

GS

Rookie Yr

Rec

Rec Yds

Rec TDs

Fpts

Mathis

Terance

NYJ

16

1

1990

19

245

0

25

Calloway

Chris

PIT

16

2

1990

10

124

1

18

McCaffrey

Ed

NYG

16

0

1991

16

146

0

15

Horn

Joe

KC

10

0

1996

2

30

0

3

McCardell

Keenan

CLE

2

0

1992

1

8

0

0.8

Thigpen

Yancey

SD

4

1

1991

0

0

0

0

Smith

Jimmy

DAL

7

0

1992

0

0

0

0

Jeffers

Patrick

DEN

4

0

1996

0

0

0

0

After his 1993 season in New York where he had a career-high 352
yards receiving, Terance Mathis went to Atlanta, and had a 111-catch
year for 1342 yards and 11 scores. Mathis had 3 more 1000-yard seasons
in the next five years. Ed McCaffrey demonstrated a lot of promise
in his second year as a Giant, but he never got a chance to develop
into a valued starter until arriving to Denver in his fifth season.
For the next five seasons after his arrival, McCaffrey never had
fewer than 7 touchdowns and produced three, 1000-yard seasons.

Joe Horn spent four seasons as a reserve on the Chiefs. He had a
35-reception, 586-yard, 6-touchdown year in his final stint in KC,
but was allowed to pursue free agency. Since Horn signed with the
Saints, he’s been among the most consistently productive receivers
in football. Horn has 4 seasons out of 6 with at least 1200 yards
and 8 scores. It’s now a distant memory for several fantasy
owners that thought Horn wouldn’t amount to much after a fluke
season in Kansas City.

Keenan McCardell’s story is very similar to Horn’s.
Now one of the games’ great possession receivers, McCardell
had three non-descript seasons in Cleveland before a decent effort
in his fourth campaign. Still, he was designated for the expansion
draft. Jacksonville subsequently landed a receiver that had four
1000-yard seasons, and two 890-yard campaigns.

And The Gut Check can’t go without mentioning McCardell’s
long-time running mate, Jimmy Smith. One of the great, unsung receivers
in the league, Smith began his career in Dallas as a 2nd round pick
but the Cowboys waived him after an injury. The Eagles then waived
Smith the subsequent year. He only went on to have nine, 1000-yard
seasons in the next ten years, including a 1600-yard effort in 1999.

The Gut Check thinks Woods is one of these talents that hasn’t
shown much within an impatient organization’s timeframe, but
landed on a team with a mentor (McCardell) and coach (James Lofton)
that will bring the best out of him. The Gut Check has lauded the
talents of receiving coach Jerry Sullivan when he was with the Cardinals,
but outside of assisting the development of David Boston and pushing
Arizona to draft Anquan Boldin, what has the coach done in Miami
or San Francisco? Maybe Sullivan hasn’t had the same quality
of talent to develop in his last two jobs—at least in Woods’
case the most talented player wasn’t healthy enough to practice.

Woods competition for the spot opposite McCardell will be Vincent
Jackson, Eric Parker, Kassim Osgood, and Malcolm Floyd. Look for
Jackson and Woods to compete for situational time to start 2006,
but with McCardell in the last stages of his career, and Parker’s
tendency to miss games, Woods has a shot to see significant time.

Here’s
another take on Woods The Gut Check found interesting back in
2004 from The Football Genius website. The writer is highly critical
of several players that have been successful early I their career,
but considering most talent analysts tend to make every player sound
like there is a bust being made for him in Canton, it’s refreshing.
Plus, he has no problem with valuing players picked in the low rounds
(or not drafted at all) over much higher picks.

One such player The Football Genius and The Gut Check agree upon
that went undrafted, but we believe will turn out to be an excellent
pro is Bowling Green’s WR Charles Sharon. So far Sharon has
been particularly impressive in Jacksonville’s mini-camp where
at worst, he’ll land with another team with less receiving
depth. Otherwise, The Gut Check believes Sharon could find himself
the 4th or 5th receiver on the depth chart to start the season and
work his way up from there. Sharon
is a long shot, but The Gut Check saw similar things from Sharon
as yours truly described here.